Moving to Serbia from Ukraine
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Ukraine to Serbia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Ukraine to Serbia, you would find that Serbia is 29.5% more expensive than Ukraine overall. A UAH3,400,000 salary in Ukraine would need to be roughly RSD10,300,000 in Serbia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Serbian.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Ukraine to Serbia.
What does your salary buy?
UAH3,400,000 → RSD10,300,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Serbia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 61.0% more
Groceries
pay 14.4% more
Transportation
pay 30.5% more
Housing
pay 30.2% more
Childcare
pay 2.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 43.6% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Serbia cost about 39% more than cities in Ukraine.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Ukraine to Serbia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Serbia?
Top countries of origin for Serbia's foreign-born residents.
- 342,526
- 288,708
- 72,596
- 47,637
- 16,392
- 11,139
- · · ·
-
16.1,297
Ukraine
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Ukraine to Serbia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Serbia performs significantly better than Ukraine across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Ukraine generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
Serbia performs significantly better than Ukraine across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Serbia performs significantly better than Ukraine across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Serbia performs significantly better than Ukraine across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Ukraine generally does better on family life, though Serbia leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine (2016), Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia (2017), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kiev | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/25°F (2°/-4°C) | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/51°F (20°/10°C) | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/58°F (24°/14°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/33°F (6°/1°C) | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kiev | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/22°F (-0.7°/-5.5°C) | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) |
| Feb | 33°/23°F (0.8°/-5.0°C) | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) |
| Mar | 44°/31°F (6.5°/-0.8°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) |
| Apr | 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.7°C) | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) |
| May | 70°/52°F (21.1°/10.9°C) | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) |
| Jun | 76°/59°F (24.6°/14.8°C) | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) |
| Jul | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.6°C) | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 79°/60°F (25.9°/15.7°C) | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) |
| Sep | 68°/51°F (20.0°/10.6°C) | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) |
| Oct | 55°/41°F (12.9°/5.1°C) | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) |
| Nov | 42°/33°F (5.3°/0.3°C) | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) |
| Dec | 33°/26°F (0.5°/-3.5°C) | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) |
Data:
Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center,
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ukraine and Serbia. To live, work, or study long-term in Serbia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Serbia's immigration authority.
Ukraine passport holder visiting Serbia
Visa Free
Serbia passport holder visiting Ukraine
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Serbia than Ukraine?
No — Serbia is on average about 29% more expensive than Ukraine. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Serbia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RSD2,575,000 in Serbia on a UAH3,400,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Serbia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Serbia has 33.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Serbia safe for expats?
Serbia performs significantly better than Ukraine across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Serbia is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.8 in Ukraine.
How is healthcare in Serbia compared to Ukraine?
Ukraine generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in adult obesity rate. There are 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Serbia, compared to 35.3 in Ukraine. Serbia scores 72 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ukraine: 76).
What's the weather like in Serbia compared to Ukraine?
The average high temperature in Belgrade is 62°F, compared to 56°F in Kiev. Belgrade receives around 26.9 in of rainfall per year, while Kiev gets 23.8 in.
What language do they speak in Serbia?
The official language in Serbia is Serbian. In Ukraine, the official language is Ukrainian.
